Joe Paterno's long careerFormer Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, 85, died on Jan. 22. A little more than a week after getting his record-setting 409th win, his storied, 46-year career underwent a stark revision -- tarnished by a child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State involving a former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky.

Fans greet Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin (11) Saturday before the game against Nebraska.

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A campus still reeling from the child sex-abuse scandal, costing coaching icon Joe Paterno his job, prepared for a football game against Nebraska.

"Today I'm happy to be here. I'm here to cheer on the team," said Laurie Lahosky of Easton, Pa., who comes to one or two games a season. "What happened is not the players' fault. I'm here for the blue and white.

"I think the Board of Trustees messed up, however. Joe should have been able to finish out the season. It's sad he's not here."

Steve Shaffer from Brockway, Pa., a 30-year season ticketholder, was at Paterno's first victory as coach, in 1966.

"The whole thing is like finding out there's no Santa Claus," Shaffer said. "I love Joe to death, but he just didn't do enough. Everybody in hindsight says they would have done this or that, but unless you are there, who knows?

"I feel bad for him. His legacy is tarnished. I feel like crying even though I'm a grown man. I also feel bad for the little kids."

Former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, once considered Paterno's heir apparent, is accused of sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year span, with several of the alleged assaults occurring on Penn State property. Two university officials are accused of perjury, and Paterno and president Graham Spanier were fired for not doing enough to prevent the alleged abuse.

"I don't now how to describe the atmosphere here," Shaffer said. "I hope it doesn't turn ugly, because it shouldn't. There are a lot of very good fans here and good people.

"I don't know how the team will react today. It could go one way or the other. They could be sky-high or deflated. We're going to see history, but it's the wrong kind of history. I sense a very somber mood. It's sad but life goes on."

The sentiment was the same for Tyler Washburn of Coopersberg, Pa., a 2010 graduate.

"In the beginning it was shocking and disappointing, and it still is because a lot of children's lives are going to change forever," he said. "As an alumnus, I thought this university stood for more. But I'm happy with the way PSU has handled it so far. They did what they had to do.

"It's not easy watching JoePa go, but if you're going to take a step in the right direction and try to move on, they had to do this as soon as possible. The longer he stayed, the more it would have weighed him down. I don't think his legacy will change that much because he's done so much for the university. He wasn't the worst one involved, but because he's the figurehead he gets more attention. A lot of us want to move on now but we're unsure of what to expect. I hope nothing gets out of control today, but a lot of people are still hurt by this."

Concerns about trouble during or after the game were on many minds Saturday. Officers on horseback rode around the stadium as part of a heavy police presence. ESPN reported there was a bomb threat phoned in.

Charles Murphy of Stroudsburg, Pa., has missed only three games since he started as a student in 2003.

"I'm not sure how to feel or how people will react," Murphy said. "I think you have to be here more for the current players than JoePa. Like the Board of Trustees said, this is a university. It's not just about Joe Paterno, and no one person is bigger than the school."

Todd Kominiak, who lived in Stroudsburg, Pa., before moving to Washington, D.C., said "the whole thing is a broad sadness" but was ready to move on.

"We are more than a football team or an administration," Kominiak said. "Penn State is an idea to a lot of us. I think we'll come together today, show our pride and show support for the victims."